Apparatus for forming paper crackers



March 17, 1953 so 2,631,417

APPARATUS FOR FORMING PAPER CRACKERS Filed Dec. 5, 1949 '7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor:

Enema HARRI SON By a. wmm

Attorney March 17, 1953 E. HARRISON 2,531,417

APPARATUS FOR FORMING PAPER CRACKERS Filed Dec. 5, 1949 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 F/GZ l8 a9 0 6 27 I5 I l l 6 72 Egg/{{- 6 3 7 9 I \h 75 /J 9 37 3/ 74 7 o 59 a5\ v 39 o l {@j/ 0 /o 2 e7 Inventor:

EDGAR Harms By s q. WM

Attorney March 17, 1953 E. HARRISON 2,631,417

APPARATUS FOR FORMING PAPER CRACKERS Filed Dec. 5, 1949 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Inventor:

Enema Hmemson BY 6 A, wwwm Attorney March 1953 E. HARRISON APPARATUS FOR FORMING PAPER CRACKERS 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 5, 1949 Inventor; EDGAR H liaa 'sord Attorney March 17, 1953 HARRISON APPARATUS FOR FORMING PAPER CRACKERS 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 5, 1949 Inventor:

EDGAR HARRISON By M-ML,

Attorney March 17, 1953 HARRISON 2,631,417

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA RS Fi l e d D e C 5 1 9 49 March 17, 1953 E. HARRISON 2,631,417

APPARATUS FOR FORMING PAPER CRACKERS Filed Dec. 5, 1949 7 Sheets-Sheet '7 Inventor;

D AR H'Aee'nsw Attorney Patented Mar. 17, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR FORMING PAPER CRACKERS Application December 5, 1949, Serial No. 131,240 In Great Britain December 8, 1948 7 Claims.

- I This invention relates to the manufacture of paper crackers, commonly known as bon-bon crackers.

The main operations in the manufacture of a paper cracker have been firstly to roll together into cylindrical form a number of superimposed paper sheets, hereinafter referred to as a paper pack, and secondly to form two waist portions in the roller cylinder by crimping it at suitable positions inwards of the ends of the cylinder. The crimped waists serve to trap within the hollow centreportion of the cylinder a folded paper cap and/or other articles, hereinafter referred to as a centre. Hitherto the first operation, that is, of rolling the pack to form a paper cylinder, has been effected by hand.

The waist forming or crimping operation has generally and for a long time been effected by looping a length of string around the portion of the paper cylinder to be waisted and closing the loop in the string so as to contract the cylinder by uniformly crimping the encircled paper.

The waist forming or crimping operation is usually referred to in the trade as the tying operation and the looped string method of waist forming will be so designated herein, although it is understood that the expression tying is a misnomer in that the looped string does not remain on the waist as a permanent tie.

The tying operation using the looped string principle was originally performed by hand, and this hand-tying operation has been imitated substantially in machinery by means of which the two waists are made simultaneously, the crimping to form each waist being effected by means of'a length of string extending between the outer ends of a pair of arms which rock in opposite directions so as each partially to embrace the paper cylinder and thereby to crimp the paper at the cylinder waist within the loop formed by the crossing halves of the length of string. During this "tying? operation the paper cylinder has been supported by cylindrical formers inserted into the opposite ends of the cylinder. It will be readily understood that the contraction due to crimping at the waists of the cylinder is accompanied by a shortening of the overall length of the cylinder and in order to compensate for this shortening the machines used have provided for an endwise translatory movement of the two string-connected pairs of arms during the loop-forming rocking movements of the arms, or have relied upon tension in the strings, aided by pressure from the formers, to cause the desired transverse motion of the strings. in practice automatic movement of the strings to compensate for the shortening of the paper cylinder has been followed up on the part of the operator by moving inwardly and in an endwise direction the two end formers by which the cylinder is supported as the operator offers the cylinder to the tying strings.

The speed at which the known form of cracker tying machine can be operated is governed largely by the dexterity of the operator in offering the rolled paper cylinder to the tying strings and in retracting the cylinder after waisting, but also by the speed at which the paper cylinder can be rolled, as it is customary for the same operator both to roll and to tie a cracker as two separate successive operations.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a machine in which the paper pack is automatically rolled to cylindrical form prior to waisting by mechanical means, for example, by mechanism operating on the looped string principle, so that the forming and "tying can be effected as a continuous operation. The output of the machine is not governed in this case by any manually effected operation, the machine being capable of completely formingand waisting many more crackers in a given time than can be made by separate successive hand forming and machine tying operations.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a machine for making paper crackers which incorporates a forming mechanism including a pair of axially aligned rotating cylindrical formers around which a flat paper pack is adapted to be rolled into cylindrical form by means of said formers as they are mechanically rotated in unison and a mechanism for simultaneously forming two waists in the paper cylinder by crimping of the paper and operating synchronously with the mechanically rotated formers, said formers supporting the paper cylinder at its opposite ends during the Waist crimping operation and at least one of said formers being subsequently displaced endwise to permit of release of the waisted formersupported cylinder.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a machine for making paper crackers having the features above referred to and which incorporates mechanical means for displacing string-connected arms of tying assemblies in relation to the axially aligned formers of the forming mechanism, mechanical means to effect swinging of said string-connected arms to effect the tying of the supported paper cylinder, and mechanical means for displacing both formers simultaneously in opposite endwise directions to release the waisted former-supported cylinder. Such a preferred arrangement readily lends itself to the construction of cracker making machine in which the forming mechanism is adapted to be displaced bodily. between a position in which it picks up 'a paper pack and a. position in which the waist crimping mechanism operates to form waists in a paper cylinder made from said paper. pack and supported by the forming mechanism, said paper cylinder being formed automatically as the forming mechanism moves from the pack pick-up position to the waist-crimping position.

In a preferred embodiment, one end of a-paper' pack is adhered to the peripheries of a pair of axially aligned cylindrical formers b pneumatic suction or by means of mechanical or magnetic grippers and the formers are made to revolve as they move between the pick-u positionand; the: tying position so as to wrap the paper pack around them. to. form a cylinder,, the cylinder, the "tying operation, being" discharged from the. machine. on. the side thereof; remote from that at. which pick-up of. the pap'er'pack takes. place.

In order that. the invention maybe more readily understood cracker making machines using the looped string principle of tying will now be de- 'scribed,' with the aid of the accompanying, drawings. wherein:

Figure" 1 is a. front elevation of: one oonstructionof machine, some parts being broken away for clearness,

, Figure. 2* is a. cross sectional elevation on line III II of Figure 1 and; showing the formers in the. tying position,

Figure 3 is an enlargedview, similar to Figure 2'; showing the formers in the pack pick-up position,

Figure 4 is' a pictorial; part-sectional view of one-of the forming heads with some-of the associa'ted'operating mechanisms,

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section through the forminghead;

Figure 6-is a View similar to Figure 1, to an enlarged scale and showing some modifications of the-operating mechanisms;

Figure '1 is a fragmentary view looking in the direction of arrow VII, Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a pictorial diagram to illustrate the modeof operation ofthe machines,

Figure-9 is a cross sectional view of an attachment for feeding a centre to the interior'of a partially made paper'cylinder and Figure-.10 is a planview thereof In the. machines. illustrated the accompanydrawings theforming mechanism and. the tying? mechanism are. mounted on a common frame. I which comprisesa pair of. cast side'plates, 2;..351igid1y interconnected by a number of cross bars 4 5, t, '5, Sand 9 and by a transverse beam 10,. the bars 5 and a being arranged at the same level and disposed symmetrically above and in relation. to. a. transversely and horizontally disposed main shaft II. The shaft H is journalled in a pair of brackets i2, 52 supported by the beam IU. Near the opposite ends-0i 1 rain shaft it two combined crank discs and face cams i3, iii are mounted and to these arepivotally attached connecting rods l, l4 which are also connected to a pair oflaterally spaced slides I5, 13 so as to recip rocate' said slides IE, it over vertical guide slides l6; Iii-mounted on the frame side plates 2, 3. Be-

tween the vertically guided slides l5, is there extend, parallel to the main shaft II, a pair of round axles ll, 17 which are arranged at the same horizontal level and one behind the other in a fore and aft direction. Upon each of the axles I! are mounted two rockers l8, [8 each carrying a curved-end arm 19, the four rockers l8, [8 thus supporting two pairs of curved arms l3, l9 sc -that an arm: #9 onairocker |l8" on one axle l! is paired with an arm" ia on a rocker l8 on the other axle IT.

The arms H! are not attached directly to the rockers l8 but. pass through pivot pins 20 which are free to swivel in holders 2|, said holders 2i being provided with, slots 22 which receive the straight. parts of" the arms IS. The holders 2| are mounted. on: shanks 23 which are secured to the rockers l8 and the pivoted arms I9 are held erectby-z meansbf: tension springs 24 having their oppositeends. anchored to collars 25 on the arms la and collars on the holder shanks 23, the arrangement being such that the arms l9 can swing toward the centre of." the machine against the light: resistance. oifered Icy-the. springs-.2 3; aszhereinaf-ter-describe-d The rocker axles H, l? have secured; thereto armsfi d carrying rollers 21' Whichare adapted to n rollalong cam tracks 22?: provided: onv opposite sides of afi'xed' camplate; Zllrmounted in. an erect pcsiltionona bracket; 311' borne by anarrowplatform 3 supported horizontally" by: cross. bars 5 and The. lower: portionsof: thecanrtraeks. 28 are straight and vertically disposed: andrsenve; to maintain the string. arms l -9;in their openxpcsitions, butz'the upper" portions: of: said: cam. tracks 2 3.: are formed with: humpswhiclrcause. the string arms. is to swing-iint'otheir closed positions.

Above the level. of. the. two; rocker axles. H, H which extend between the vertically: movable slides l5, l5. are mounted twcriorming heads. 32, 32 eachv of which. carnies one of; a series. of: interchangeable cylindrical: Inandzrelr 3:3, 313-. lT'wo mandrels. 33,. 33 of the same'size: are adapted to be. mounted in. the; forming heads: 3.2:; 3.2: so that the mandrels. 3.37,. 3.3: are aligned along an axis which; is; parallel. to; the axles, H, H: and; to the main drive shaft, t l...

The: two formingg heads: 32', 321, which. always remain in transverse: axial. alignment, are-mounted: so: as. to be capable of being traversedback- Wards and forwards, with a. rectilineal movement,

in the fore-and-aft direction, and when at theaft end of travel the two mandrels 33, 33- are" situated ina position, hereinafter termed the tying position, immediately and centrally abovethe two axles. Ill, H. (see Fig. 2). The position-0f the; two forming heads 3-2;,32; when at the foreend of; their travel. (see Fig. 3) will be heremaiterreferred. to

as-the-pickeup position.

The fore-and-aft movements. ofv the flaming heads32, 3.2 and thetransverse movements of at least themandrels 33,v 33 for the..purpose.hereinafter moreparticularly. described, may be effected by any suitable means, such asbycam-operated linkages or by pneumatic devices. Suitablelink mechanism for effecting the. two movementssynchronously is illustrated and comprises mounting 4 each forming head 32 on the forward endof a main drive shaft II. A roller 39 mounted on the rocker 31 is maintained, by spring biasing of the rocker if desired, in contact with the edge of a disc cam 40 secured to the main shaft ll, so far that as the main shaft ll revolves the disc cam 40 regulates the forward movement and effects the rearward movement or effects both forward and rearward movement of the forming head 32. The pivotal connections and the effective lengths of the rocker 31, beam 34 and control lever 35' are so arranged that these three elements form an articulated link system which imparts a substantially straight-line to-and-fro motion to the forming head 32, and the disc cam 49 which cooperates with the rocker 31 is contoured so as to cause the forming head 32 to dwell for a short period at the pick-up position and for a longer period at the tying position. The two rockers 31, 31 controlling the two forming heads 32, 32 are cross connected by a rigid stabilising bar 4! The transverse movement of each mandrel 33 is effected by detachably mounting the mandrel 33 on a screwed spigot 42 projecting from the front part of a cylindrical two-part block 43 which is slidable within a hollow cylinder 44 fixed to the rocker 31 (see Figs. 4 and 5). Between the two halves of block 43 is a ring 45 and this ring 45 is connected, by pins 46 passing through guide slots 41 in the cylinder 44, to links 48, 48 pivoted to rockable levers 49, 59, which are secured to a vertical pivot pin 5| carried by the head 32. The upper lever 59 is formed with an extending arm 52 which is provided at its outer end with a roller 53 which is adapted to roll along the edge of a cam plate 54 carried on a rockable arm 55 which is pivoted on a bracket 56 mounted on the adjacent side plate 2 or 3. The arm 55 is connected by a pivoted link 51 to another rockable arm 58, mounted also on bracket 56, and carrying a roller 59 which is in contact with the track of the appropriate face cam l 3 on the main shaft ll, thereby causing the block 43 and ring 45 and the mandrel 32 mounted thereon to perform an endwise movement independently of the cylinder 44 of the forming head 32. The link 51 is pivotally attached to arm 55 by means of a pivot 60 adjustable within a slot 6| in one limb of the arm 55, so that the throw of the arm 55 can be varied to regulate the amount of transverse movement of the mandrel 33 according to the length of paper cracker being made.

The mandrel 33 and its associated mounting block 43 are adapted to be rotated relatively to the hollow cylinder 44 by providing the block 43 with a rod-like extension 62 which through the intermediary of a sliding key 63 maintains operative connection with a toothed pinion 64 which is held in the outer end of the cylinder 44 against endwise movement whilst free to rotate. A rackbar 65 mounted by its front end on a, pivot 65a carried by the adjacent side plate 2 or 3 is maintained by spring tension means (not shown) in constant mesh with the pinion 64 so that as the forming head 32 moves forwards and backwards the stationary rack bar 65 rotates the pinion 64 and with it the lidable block 43 and the mandrel 33 spigoted thereon.

Interposed between the arm-supporting axles l1, I1 of the tying mechanism and the forming heads 32, 32 a substantially horizontal table 66 g is mounted which has a pair of transversely spaced slots 61, 61 (see especially Fig. 8) up through each of which a pair of the tringconnected arms l9, l9 can be swung, so that when the transversely aligned forming heads 32, 32 are dwelling in the tying" position, the two arms I9, I9 constituting a pair move in opposite directions so as partially to embrace one of the mandrels 33. The movements of the forming heads and of the tying mechanism are synchronised so that both ends of a paper cylinder 68 supported between the inwardly directed mandrels 33, 33 of the forming heads 32, 32 are waisted simultaneously by crimping of the cylinder 68 which is effected by the two looped strings 69, 69 carried by the swingable tying arms |9--I 9.

When the forming heads 32, 32 are at the fore end of traverse they over-run the forward edge of the table 66 so as to dwell for a short period above the rear end of a flap 19 which is mounted for hinged movement about the transverse cross bar 4 located adjacent to the forward edge of the flap 19. On this flap 19, at least one side lay 1| is adjustably mounted and against this the operator (or a mechanical feeder) deposits a paper pack in its fiat unrolled condition, so that when the flap 19 is hinged about the cross bar 4 by means of a push-rod 12 co-operating with a bell-crank lever 13 which carries a roller 1-4 rolling on the edge of a cam 15 on the main drive shaft H, one margin of the paper pack is lifted into contact with the peripheries of the ligned mandrels 33, 33 carried by the stationary forming heads 32, 32, the push rod 12 being resiliently attached to the lever 13 by a spring 15 and stirrup 11, so that intimate contact between paper pack and mandrels is secured.

Each mandrel 33 is hollow and the peripherythereof is pierced by a series of small holes 18 communicating with the bore 19 of the mandrel 33 so that a pneumatic suction can be applied through the holes 18 to cause the margin of the paper pack contacting with the mandrel 33 to adhere thereto. The rod-like extension 62 of block 43 is made hollow and constitutes a continuation of the bore 19 of mandrel 33, a union fitting 99 being mounted on the outer end of said extension 62. To the union fittings 89, 89 associated with the two mandrels 33, 33 are attached pipelines 8|, 9! leading to a common control valve 82 mounted on the beam l9. This control valve 82 is connected to a suitable suction pump (not shown) and the valve 82 has a plunger 83 which is reciprocated by a cam 84 mounted on the main shaft 1 l. The main shaft I l is driven by a chain drive 85 from an electric motor 86 and speed reduction unit 81 carried on a platform 88 supported horizontally by the cross rods 8 and 9.

Above and parallel to the rocker shafts l1, l1

" an ejector shaft 89 is mounted and upon this shaft 89 one, or preferably, asshown, a pair of rocking ejector arms 99, 96 are mounted. These ejector arms 99, 99 lie between the two pairs of string arms |9l 9 and are adapted to be swung up from positions beneath the table 66, through the slots 61, 51 therein so as to contact with and knock the waisted paper cylinder 63 to the rear, that is, the discharge end of table 66. The ejector shaft 99 is rocked at the appropriate time during the sequence of operations of the machine by means of linkage 9! moved by a cam 92 on the main shaft II. If desired the cam 92 may be shaped so as to cause the ejector arms 99, 99 to swing up into contact with the paper cylinder 69 supported on mandrels 33, 33 and to dwell in that position while the mandrels 33, 33 are being withdrawn from the open ends of the paper cylinder 68.

The table 69 is supported by vertically adjustable transverse bars 93, 94, so that the height of 7 the a le 66 an leee i yal ered according t he s ze o andrel 33' being us d.-

T e b s operat on 1 the machin ill be rea i u er tood f om Figu e 8, ch how iag amm y t e two ndre e 3.3, 3 supporting the paper cylinder 68, at the tying position. The mandrelsits, 33- partake of three movements of which one is a clockwise-rotary movement, E effected simultaneously with fOIWhId t a e t is in direction B to br ng the mandrels 33, 33 above the rear end of flap 10, see Figure 3. The fiatpaper pack 55. is diagramat a i d c ted in F ure .8 where t Shown as deposited by hand or by mechanical means on he a it th dge abutt n the ri pert h fihh oi he iorward end of tab e. d5..- hil the maria-rah h .3 are partaking o movement E rh t has t l f ed by the h rod 12 49 59 i3t3 14 .34.15 n 191 111350 2193 9f I Q C e h t as he man e s 33, 33: ometo e t, at the hack piek up posit on t e ma nal e ge of paper pack 95 is presented tothe peripheries of the mandrels 33, 33;, the control valve 82 being c p ted t op n at he a oment s as to cause the marginal edge of the pack 95. to adhere to the mandrels 33, 33.

As the forming heads 3-2, 32: retreat in. direction D (Figure 8) towardthe tying" position the mandrels 33, 33 are caused to revolve in unison and anticlockwise, that is, in direction A, so as to roll the paper pack indicated at 95- into the form of a cylinder indicated at 65 having its opposite ends supported by the mandrels 3:3, 33 The terminal margin of the paper pack 95 has a band of pressure-sensitive or other suitable adhesive for the purpose of securing the paper pack in the cylindrical form. By the time the forming heads 32,, 32 have arrived at the tying position (see Figures 2 and 8) the two slides 15, I5 carrying the transverse arm-supporting axles I7, I? have been elevated to the limit of ascent by the crank devices provided, and the rockers I8, 18 are then made to rock so as to swing the stringconnected pairs of arms Iii-.19, this tying movement being caused by the rollers 27; 2'! onthe arrns 2E, 26 on axles H, H contacting the humps in the cam tracks 23, 28 of the fixed carnplate 29 as the slides i5, i5, ascend.

During the tying operation the paired stringconnected arms [9-H move endwise in an inward direction to compensate for the shortening of the cylinder 83 as the waists are formed, this inward movement following automatically the positive inward movement F of the nandrels 33, 33 by means of face cams l3, l3 and associated linkages, so as to ensure that well-defined corners ar produced between the centre portion of the cylinder 68 and the crimped waists.

After the paper cylinder 68 has been tied by the looping of the strings 69 the tying arms [9- 9 swin ba k and down r u h t e s s 61 6.1, in the table 66 so that the mandrels 33, 33 can be moved apart in directions G, clear oi the waisted cylinder 68, As already mentioned the ejector arms 9%, 96 may dwell in contact with the mandrel-supported cylinder 68, while the mandrels 33, 33 are withdrawn before said arms 90, 90 move to knock the released cylinder 68 to the rear end of table 66. During the return traverse of the mandrels 33, 33 or during the period of dwell thereof in the tying position the flap is swung down in direction H to set it in readiness to receive another paper pack 95.

Figures 6 and '7 illustrate two modifications of the machine illustrated in Figures 1 to 5,

1:8 namely means for positively displacingthe oracker tying arms to compensate. for shortenin of the paper cylinder ,68' during waisting and an alternative mode of operating the ejector arms. The first modification comprises slidably mounting the string arm rockers l8.l8 on the axles l1, l1 and mounting .rollers 96,, 9.6 on the rockers [Be- 178., said rollers 96, 9.6 being adapted to r011 over cam plates ,9], .91 fixed on opposite sides of the machine. As the axles l1, l! are bodily moved the rollers .96, 86 ride .on to the humps '98, 9.8 .of the cam plates 91 9] at the end of the tyingoperation and the rockers I.,8..-,l8 and their string arms 1 8-19 are moved inwards a a st the opposition of compression springs 33. .9 encirclin he axles 1.1? and i terposed b t een said slidable r kers Isa-l3 an col a "l0 M p n n said axles 11ml]. vf-Ih econd modific tion compr e rock ng the ejector arms .9 0 by me ns of a push rod 10! onn c ed to a lev r 102 pivoted on the hraek t 3.0. The lever 192 carriesa roller 1.03 which is contacted by another roller [04 on one .of t axles ,H, 11 a the. axles near the limit .of descent, and an adjustin -.Sor.ew I05 to regulate the swing of the ejector arms 918-999.

The paper pack .&5 from which .the cylinder 68 is made usually consists of at least two sheets of paper, between which a soecalled snap, that is, a frangible strip carrying an explosive substance, is often interposed. The inner sheet or a third sheet is-often made smaller and stiffer than the outer sheet .50 as to. form in the cracker a sti-fiened middle portion which not only preserves the final form ofthe cracker but also constitutes a housing for protecting .a folded paper hat and/or other articles generally enclosed in a cracker and herein referred to as the centre. The reiniorced middle p rtion of the cracker may thus be formed as the pack is ro d to m kea cyl nder 8, e articles to be enclosed in the cracker may be made up into a unitary packet whi h is lightly adhesively secured to the topmost sheet of the pack so that the packet is rolled up within the cylinder as it is being formed,

Alternatively, one or more loose articles may be deposited within the partly-rolled cylinder by the use of any suitable feeding means, one form of which is illustrated in Figures 9 and 10 of the drawings. In this arrangement a bracket W6 is m unt d. on each forming head cyl n r 4 and, in these. two brackets is iournal ed o rotation a cross. shaft I01. Parallel to the cross sh ft 1 7- aricl mounted the same b ac t "l6; 6 s a f xed; a l H 8 which supports a ho per H ll.-v A the dis h rg nd o thehopper I09 one of an interchangeable series of curved grippers H0 is mounted and a complementary gripper lll, also one of an interchangeable series, the gripper III being suspended from the shaft 10! for rocking therewith. On a projecting endof the shaft 10.! is. a normally downwardly extending finger U2 which during movem nt o th formi g hea 3.2. 32 towar t tying position contacts with a cam plate H3 secured to a lever H4 pivoted. on: a p n 5 mo n a ati nary part of he mac ine. such as one f the rack bars 55. Durin movement of the forming heads 3.2, 32 towardthe tying position the finger H2- trips the lever H4, so that the grippers till and Ill remain in the mandrel-embracing positions and thus; serve to hold the rolled pack around the mandrels; 33, 33. The inner marginal edge of the paper pack 95 is accessible to the suction openings 18 of the mandrels 33, 33 through the bottom opening H6 and when the pack 95 has been partially wrapped around the mandrels 33, 33 the centre is dropped by any suitable means into the hopper Hi9 and thence into the partly made paper cylinder. The grippers Hil and Ill maintain their embrace of the rolled paper cylinders and the enclosed ends of the mandrels 33, 33 during the waist tying operation. As the forming heads 32, 32 move after cylinder waisting from the tying position toward the pack pick-up position the finger H2 is tripped by a roller H! on lever I M, thereby rocking the shaft I91 and with it the gripper IH so as to allow the ejector arms 9ll9il to knock the released cracker cylinder 68 to the discharge end of table 66. The tripping of the lever H4 by the finger H2 is effected against the resistance of a tension spring H8 anchored to a pin H9 on the rack bar 65 and during the tripping of the finger H2 by the lever H4 the lever abuts a stop I24) on the rack bar 65.

I claim:

1. A machine for making paper crackers, comprising in combination, a frame, a substantially horizontal table on said frame and having therein a pair of slots arranged in fore-and-aft direction, means on said table for locating a flat paper pack adjacent the front part thereof, two tying assemblies mounted on said frame for vertical bodily movement beneath said table with the string-connected pairs of arms of said tying assemblies aligned with the two table slots, a pair of axially aligned formers movable in unison on said frame at right angles to the planes of swinging of the tying arms and between a position above said slots and a position in which the formers lie opposite an edge of the front part of said table adjacent said paper pack locating means, means for causing the paper pack to adhere to the formers, means on said frame for mechanically rotating the aligned formers in unison as they are displaced together in a fore-and-aft direction above the platform to roll said paper pack into a cylinder around the formers, means on said frame for effecting swinging of the string-connected arms of the tying assemblies up through the platform slots to effect waist-crimping of the paper cylinder at two places simultaneously while said cylinder is supported on the formers and while said formers dwell above the platform slots and then for swinging said arms down through the platform slots and clear of the upper face of the platform, and means on said frame for retracting the formers by endwise displacement to release the waisted cylinder.

2. A machine according to claim 1, wherein the formers are adapted to move inwards during the tying operation to consolidate the middle portion of the cracker cylinder, between the two waists formed therein.

3. A machine according to claim 2, wherein the string-connected tying arms are mounted so as to permit them to move inwardly to compensate for approach together of the waists during the waist-forming operation.

4. A machine according to claim 1, having means on the frame to assist discharge of the waisted cylinder from the tying position after release from the forming mechanism.

5. A machine according to claim 1, having means mounted above the table for feeding a centre as herein defined into a partly-rolled paper pack.

6. A machine for making paper crackers, comprising a frame, a forming mechanism on said frame including a pair of axially aligned cylindrical formers and including pneumatic means to cause the marginal edge of a paper pack to adhere to said formers, an elevatable platform on said frame for supporting said paper pack and for lifting said paper pack into contact with said formers, mechanical means on said frame for rotating said formers in unison, a mechanism on said frame for simultaneously forming two waists in the paper cylinder by crimping of the paper, means on said frame for operating said waist-crimping mechanism synchronously with the mechanically rotated formers, a driving mechanism on said frame for bodily reciprocating the forming mechanism between a position in which it picks up said paper pack from off said table when elevated and a position in which the waist-crimping mechanism operates on the paper cylinder, said paper cylinder being formed automatically as the forming mechanism moves from the pack pick-up position to the waistcrimping position and being supported at its opposite ends by the aligned formers during the waist-crimping operation, and means for displacing endwise at least one of said formers after the waist-crimping operation to permit of release of the waisted former-supported cylinder.

7. A machine according to claim 6, including a waist-crimping mechanism comprising two tying assemblies including two pairs of stringconnected arms mounted for swinging movement in opposite directions so as to loop the strings around the paper cylinder to form simultaneously a pair of waists therein by crimping the paper, and including mechanical means on the frame for displacing the string-connected arms of the tying assemblies in relation to the axially aligned formers of the forming mechanism, mechanical means on said frame to effect swinging of the string-connected arms to effect the tying of the supported paper cylinder, and mechanical means on said frame for displacing both formers simultaneously in opposite endwise directions to release the waisted former-supported cylinder.

EDGAR HARRISON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 521,792 Harrington June 26, 1894 537,560 Bird Apr. 16, 1895 1,116,560 Buhse Nov. 10, 1914 

